Hose couplings are used in variety of industries and applications to couple a supply of fluid, such as water, fuel, oil, food, solution, and beverages, to a delivery device, such as a nozzle, a sprayer, a sprinkler, a wand, or to a storage device or vessel. Hose couplings capable of coupling a water supply to a water hose or coupling a water hose to a water nozzle or sprayer are well known. Hose couplings can also be used in hose extensions, multiple-way connectors, such as two way connectors, water timers, water meters, water pumps, and when connecting one hose to another hose.
Hose couplings are often used to couple a garden hose to a spray nozzle or to a water sprinkler. These hose couplings can be located within a housing, such as a pistol grip of a garden spray nozzle or within a housing of an oscillating water sprinkler, a whirling water sprinkler or other water delivery devices or systems. In most of these applications, the hose coupling has a standard diametric size, which mates with a mating hose coupling attached to a hose. Because the hose couplings are of a standard diameter, the size of the water passage, which either delivers water to or delivers water away from the hose coupling, can constrain the number of design options for the hose coupling. Cost and functional requirements, however, can also limit the sizes available when designing the water passages.
Environmental usage of a product incorporating a hose coupling can dictate that the hose coupling be made from a different material than the water passage, thus making attachment of the hose coupling to the water passage a challenge. Rotational forces resulting from attaching and detaching a hose also need to be addressed in a manner that does not negatively affect the water passage or negatively affect the hose coupling.
Generally a hose terminates in a male fitting which threadingly engages a female fitting disposed in the housing of the water delivery device or storage device. In many instances, the male fitting which terminates the end of the hose is made of a metal while the female fitting can be made of a plastic material. Because of the dissimilarity of materials, engagement and disengagement of the male fitting from the female fitting over time can reduce the effectiveness of the connection of the female fitting to the housing and can even completely disengage the female fitting from the housing. Even when the male fitting is made of plastic, disengagement and engagement of one fitting with the other over time, can weaken a connection between the female fitting and the hose coupling and in particular the water passage. Furthermore if the interior surface of the water passage and the exterior surface of the female fitting have mating surfaces engaged with a friction fit or an interference fit, continued use over time can dislodge the female fitting from the water passage. Likewise, spot welding of the water passage to the female fitting is not always permanent. In most cases, any damage or reduced effectiveness of the hose coupling cannot be repaired, or should not be repaired due to the expense involved. Consequently, the only option can be to purchase a new device, although the device is otherwise still functional except for the damage to the hose coupling. This can be particularly evident in spray nozzles where the spay head or nozzle head is still functional, but the hose coupling leaks.
What is needed therefore is a hose coupling which can accommodate a variety of sizes of water passages and which can be used continuously through multiple engagements and disengagements of a hose without the need for repair or replacement.